Damnation and Salvation
by TooManyFanficsYouAss
Summary: The battle between Heaven and Hell is bad. And our favourite characters, Dean, Sam and Cas, are in the middle of it.
1. Prologue

Huge raindrops fell out of the sky. The night was dark, but once in a while lightning bolts crashed upon the earth. The water was warm, but felt like ice cubes on his face. _Him._ The righteous man. He was laying down, exhausted. Like he had given up.

He could have been sleeping, but his eyes were wide open, looking up to the sky, as if he was waiting for something to happen. The pain in his eyes could have killed anyone close to him.

Suddenly, the dark night disappeared and made place for a strange light that seemed to be falling out of the sky. The man, still looking up, tried to move, but was too weak to even move. And even though he obviously fought his last battle, he tried to stand up, and to look at the variety of falling lights in the sky. He knew what it meant.

The angels were falling.

The man used all his strength to stand up, and when he did, he had to lean against his car to not lose his balance. He looked at the black door he was leaning against. The car was the one thing he cared about since the day everything went down, the day he lost two people. The two men he loved. More than he had ever loved someone.

He heard a noise behind him. He turned around, and was not surprised by the sight. There was another man. The weakened man knew every single body curve by heart, but the man inside the body had become a stranger. The weakened man did nothing while the stranger walked towards him.

"Cas," The weakened man said, with a cracking voice.

"The Cas you knew doesn't exist."

The last thing the weakened man heard was someone screaming his name, as the stranger in the familiar body hit him, and took his last breath.


	2. Chapter 1: The beginning of the end

"Dean!", Cas screamed. Dean had a nightmare, and wouldn't wake up. "Dean, it's just a nightmare, wake up!"

Dean woke up while knocking Cas off the bed. He was sweating, and he had a terrible headache. Something was sticking on his face. He had been crying?

Suddenly, he realised that he had pushed away Cas, and turned towards the angel.

Correction. _His_ angel.

"Sorry, didn't see you there. Why where you sitting on top of me?" Dean asked, not without winking and smirking. Cas rolled his eyes when he stood up, but a little smile escaped his lips.

"You were having a nightmare and you kept trying to hit me."

"Sorry for that, I was dreaming ab-" Dean stops. Does he want to recall that memory? It seemed so real. It felt like he was actually there. Does he want to feel that pain again?

"I was dreaming about- er…- about my time in Hell," Dean said, obviously lying.

Cas believed him, for he was still a little dorky.

"You shouldn't think about that Dean. It's over. I raised you from perdition, and nobody is going to reverse my actions."

Dean smiled as he placed his hand on Cas' waist. "Nobody is brave enough to do that, because I have a dorky ("and very dangerous" he added, after seeing Cas' face turn angry) angel that will protect me."

"Exactly," Cas said, while he pulled Dean into a kiss.

Cas still couldn't believe that those lips were now his. A month ago, Dean, Sam and Cas had just finished a job, when Dean came up to him and confessed his love. It was weird at once, as Dean flirted with girls all the time, which he appeared to do, only to hide his true feelings.

Cas always hided his feelings for his brothers and sisters. Angels are not supposed to feel anything, but Cas knew he was different. He always felt like he didn't belong in Heaven. And when he got the chance to escape Heaven and descend to Earth, he immediately took it.

Ever since Cas had raised Dean from Hell, he felt different. He had this weird feeling in his stomach whenever he saw Dean, or even thought about him. It was only a month ago when he finally had the courage to ask Sam in private what it meant, and that was the moment he knew. He loved Dean. He didn't just love him, he would die for Dean. Kill for Dean. Fall for Dean.

Dean was his human, and he was Dean's angel.

After their lips parted, Dean stood up, took Cas' hand, and walked towards the kitchen together.

Sam heard footsteps. Finally, the lovebirds are up, he thought. They had only been dating for a week, but Sam was tired of their shit already. Love is beautiful, but those two couldn't live without each other for a second.

He stood up to make some coffee for his brother, when the doorbell rang. It was a terrible sound that echoed through the bunker. While Sam walked towards the door he picked up his gun. The bunker was protected from pretty much all evil, but he didn't want this morning to be ruined by some asshole monster. He opened the door, and….

"SAMMY!", a woman's voice yelled while jumping on him to give the tallest Winchester a hug. Sam recognized the voice, and the long red hair he was looking at only confirmed his idea of the woman.

The geeky but lovely Charlie Bradbury had just jumped him.

"Charlie? What are you doing here?", Sam managed to get out, as he was almost getting choked by his best friend.

"Just visiting you. Thought I could chill here for a couple of days. I missed you guys!", Charlie said, while ending the hug.

"Well, come in, Dean and Cas just woke up, and the coffee should be ready now."

When Dean and Cas arrived in the kitchen, they suddenly got attacked by red hair.

"Charlie?", Dean asked surprised, trying to breathe.

"Yup, the larp queen's back bitches!", she said while letting Dean and Cas go. "So good to see you! How's the love?"

Of course, Dean thought, Sam told every single human wandering the Earth that Cas and I are together.

"It's good," Dean said, while sitting down in front of the huge cup of coffee Sam had made for him. "How's the kingdom?"

"I lost it. But that's okay, because I finally got in touch with that sexy fairy again! Time to get laid, I like to say."

While eating their breakfast, the four hunters talked some more, when suddenly Sam's phone rang.

"Hello?", Sam said.

After listening to the caller, Sam's face turned pale, and he hung up.

"Who was that?," Dean asked.

"That was Crowley," Sam said after a few minutes of silence. "He has bad news."

After another moment of silence, Sam continued talking.

"Lucifer has escaped the cage."


	3. Chapter 2: Hell is rising

For a moment, Dean thought he was dying.

"What?!" he yelled angry, while standing up and kicking his chair in the process. They had tried so hard to get Lucifer in the cage, and now he ESCAPED?

"Calm down, Dean," Castiel said, while placing his hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean sat down, but the anger was still visible in his eyes. Only when he looked into the skyblue eyes of his angel, he calmed down. While looking into each others eyes, all problems seemed to slip away, and Dean finally could think clear. A cough brought them back to reality, away from each other. As Cas removed his hand from Dean's shoulder, Sam began to speak.

"They don't know how it happened. Some demon found a … trail of dead people that led to the cage. They found Michael in the cage, but Lucifer was gone.",

"Why didn't Michael escape?" Cas asked Sam, obviously surprised and confused.

"Nobody knows," Sam answered. "Crowley's people are interrogating Michael as we speak, but he doesn't want to say anything. Hell thinks Michael knew something about escape plans of Lucifer."

"That's **their** secret," Dean said, laughing.

" _The Devil's Advocate_? Seriously, Dean?", Sam said, obviously disappointed in his older brother, who probably couldn't think of a better movie quote. "Why not say _Those who play with the Devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword_?"

"Because nobody will ever say that. Or remember that. And because I am not a geek like my brother."

After bringing his empty cup to the kitchen, Sam continued his story.

"Michael will tell us something. Eventually. Crowley says he has the situation under control, but we know Crowley well enough to know that is a lie."

"We should go to Hell then!", Charlie said excitedly. "We can handle the situation. We are a team!"

"Except you can't just walk into Hell like you walk into Walmart.", Sam responded.

"But we can drive into Hell," Dean said. "When I was in Hell, I saw demons entering Hell in cars through a portal or something. I have an idea where we can find the portal."

"Great!", Charlie shouted, while hugging Dean. When she stopped choking him, she brought up another issue. "We need a team name. I like Team Hellriders."

"Team Impala!", Sam excitedly said.

"Team hunters is better, Sam. We are hunters after all." Cas said. "What do you think, Dean?"

"I don't know. We've been through so much together. I- I think I know something."

"Well? What is it then?" Sam said impatiently.

"Team Free Will." Dean said. "I mean- We all had problems with a dominant parent that wanted us to obey. We all escaped the puppy life to be free and drink beer all day."

"I agree", the three hunters excitedly said.

And that was the moment Team Free Will stood up, walked to the Impala, and drove to Hell, while listening to (and excitedly singing) Highway To Hell from ACDC.


	4. Chapter 3: Heaven is falling

_While the four hunters are on their way to Hell, Heaven hears the breaking news…._

"NAOMI!"

The peaceful silence that once found its place in the office was kicked out by the panicking angel that appeared in her office. A woman, sitting behind a desk, looked up.

"Did you hear the news? Lucifer is out of the cage and Hell is-"

"So I've heard," the woman named Naomi said. She was a tall figure with short dark hair, and eyes even darker. Many angels swore you could see black holes in them if you stared long enough into their dark abysses.

After the great fall of Heaven, Naomi had taken the throne, and under her command, the angels started building up Heaven. It felt like a new era, an era with only peace. And it felt like something was about to break the peace.

"Shouldn't we help? Lucifer is an angel after all. I- I mean, some angels- think that Hell can't fix this-"

"They can handle the situation perfectly," Naomi said, standing up and walking towards the angel. She seemed so small when standing next to the enormous male vessel of the angel. "They are used to the evil and the sins. They will find Lucifer and end this. We have our own problems."

The angel looked into Naomi's eyes. They were looking sharp, almost demanding. But the angel kept defending himself.

"We need to close the gates! What if Lucifer comes to Heaven? We are not ready for war!"

"I think I haven't made myself clear. It will be fine. And you have a job to do. The fact that you are not doing what you are supposed to do right now is worse than the problems of Hell." Naomi's piercing eyes became even blacker than they already were. Being sucked into a black hole didn't seem to scare the angel.

"We have a job from higher up as well. We are told by God to protect our brothers and sisters from whatever and whoever is a threat. And Lucifer is a threat, if I am not mistaken."

"You know, Ezekiel, you are really annoying me," Naomi said, raising her voice with every word she said. "Do you know what I do with people that annoy me?" She took a while to answer her own question, but the answer sent a shiver down Ezekiel's spine.

"I crush them."

As if it was a rehearsed scene, two guards showed up when she finished her sentence. They grabbed Ezekiel, and held him back, while Naomi walked to her desk to pick up the angel blade. Ezekiel saw his own reflection on the frightening blade, as if the blade was longing for his blood.

"I gave you a chance, Ezekiel," Naomi said while walking towards the struggling angel, "but you forgot rule number 1."

"Duty is the only reason to live."

After saying the words, Naomi pushed the blade into Ezekiel, and with painful screams, the angel grace left his body, and it vanished into thin air, like a black hole caught its sight.


	5. Chapter 4: The darkness of light

When the black '67 Chevy Impala slowly reached the entrance of the tunnel, a tall figured appeared in front of it, which made Dean slam on the brakes.

Dean had forgotten that Sam and Charlie were sleeping.

"WHAT THE HELL DEAN?!," Sam shouted in his brothers ear. Charlie angrily murmered something as well, but she said it too soft to be understood by anyone, and nobody bothered to ask what she said, as she fell asleep a few seconds later.

"I am sorry man, this batman-guy just appeared in the middle of the road," Dean said, "didn't feel like killing anyone right now."

"The real question is," Charlie suddenly said, while repositioning her legs, "What is a man doing in the middle of the road? And why does he have a Batman shirt I don't have?" Apparently she couldn't sleep after being woken up, so she'd decided to just stay awake.

"Well, he's probably standing on the road because he is a demon who guards the gates, and you don't have that Batman shirt because you haven't met my geeky little brother yet who probably runs some webshops that sell those shirts. I am only wondering why he hasn't come over here yet…"

"That's because he isn't guarding the gates of Hell," a familiar voice suddenly said, "he is my bodyguard. Makes me feel like a rockstar."

Dean and Cas turned around to look at the backseat. There he was, the king of Hell. Crowley had appeared in the Impala, wearing a black tuxedo. He was eating a lollipop. Cas suddenly gasped, but Dean couldn't find a good reason for his boyfriend to react like that. He had seen Crowley a lot of times, so it wasn't a surprise to see him. Was it the lollipop…?

"So you've decided to join me on this adventurous quest?", Crowley continued after several minutes of silence. When he saw Charlie, he smiled. "Did you decide to bring the red mage as well?"

"I don't understand what Charlie's hair color has to do with the fake practice of magic," Cas started, while Charlie and Sam tried not to laugh, "but we brought Charlie because she is a good hunter. We need to find Lucifer as soon as possible, so don't waste our time."

"My my, Dean, why is your boyfriend so serious? Is your personality contagious, sweetie?"

"How did you-"

"Is there something I don't know?" Crowley said, while stepping out of the car. "Oh wait- I don't know where Lucy is. But I do know everything about gossips. I think it's the little girl in me."

While rolling his eyes, Dean stepped out of the car, and while the others did the same, he started to follow Crowley into the dark pit called Hell.

"This where we heard the screams," The demon said. The demon had been waiting for the hunters, and when they arrived, he showed them every important place.

"And you are the one that found the cage without Lucifer?", Sam said. The excitement could be heard in his voice. _Geek,_ Dean thought.

"Yes. I ran to the cage, and I found it, being the same as the last time I checked. Except Lucifer was gone."

"Wait a minute, the cage was closed?"

"That's not the only strange thing. Michael seemed to be…. talking to someone, even though he was alone."

Dean was worried, as one of his greatest enemies had escaped, but he couldn't keep himself from smiling when he saw his boyfriends face. Castiel had tilted his head slightly to the left, and his confused face was aimed towards the demon. It was cute, and you almost forgot he could kill you with a snap of his fingers. When Cas noticed Dean staring at him, he turned around, and Dean quickly looked at the demon, as if he'd never looked at Cas.

"Can an angel make himself invisible?" Charlie asked. "Maybe Michael was talking to the invisible Lucifer."

"No, we can't just disappear.", Cas replied, "The cage was designed to prevent Lucifer from using angelic powers, and because he is a fallen angel, he is too weak for that kind of actions."

"But who was Michael talking to then? Was he planning his escape with the bloody wall?!", Crowley suddenly said. He'd gotten angry, as they hadn't got a clue what was happening, and while they were discussing lore, one of the most dangerous angels was on the loose. "I didn't bring you here for some stories and tea!"

Being a little startled by the sudden anger of Crowley, the four hunters stepped back. Everyone was well informed about Crowley's anger problems, and they wanted to prevent him from hurting anybody. The first one to speak was Castiel, obviously not afraid of the King of Hell.

"Michael might have tried to talk to the angels. He can't listen to angel radio, but he can pray. Maybe he tried to explain his actions, or prepare them."

"Prepare them for what?", the unknown demon said.

"Lucifer wants to start a war. Between Heaven and Hell. Maybe Michael was trying to warn the angels and tell them to prepare for war. Heaven is still under construction, there's no way they're going to win that war."

"IF there comes a war," Dean said. "As long as we're alive, Lucifer isn't gonna start any war. He's gonna get his ass back to the cage."

"And how were you planning to achieve that?" Crowley said.

Dean didn't know what to say. He didn't have a plan. Yet. He would figure out how to trap Lucifer, but he couldn't do this alone. For the first time, he really wanted to admit that he needed the others. He needed a team. He needed Team Free Will.

"We are going to work together. That's my plan." Dean said.

Shortly after that, the four hunters followed the two demons to the cage, not knowing what to expect.

The cage was small, and not the brightest thing in the place. Charlie almost walked passed it. Only when Cas stopped her and let her look to the right, she saw the cage.

It was the loudest silence Charlie had ever heard. She didn't hear anything, but the screams had found a place in her head. It was like she could see the screams. Feel them. As if they were part of her. It freaked her out, and her first reaction would be to walk away. But when she thought about the reason why she was there, she closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the screams. When she calmed down, she joined the others, and she listened carefully to every word they said.

"This is the cage,", Kyle (Crowley had told the hunters on their way to the cage what the unknown demon was called) said. A shiver went down the spines of the hunters, and Kyle waited before telling them what he knew.

"Michael is still in there. We have some guards in the cage, to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. We aren't sure what to expect, we don't know what abilities angels have."

"He isn't able to do anything," Cas said. "He's in a cage that prevents him from using his angel powers."

Kyle saw that Cas was annoyed, and quickly turned to the cage to open it.

"So if you want to talk to Michael, here he-"

He stopped talking.

The guards in the cage were dead. Michael was not there.


	6. Extra: The devil's appointment

"Lucifer?"

Michael walked through the building. _He should be here,_ Michael thought. They had been discussing their escape for years. Not out loud, not through angel radio, but in their heads. Lucifer could hear him, and after a few years Michael could hear Lucifer.

It was the cage. It had always been the cage. They couldn't get out, and as individuals they were powerless. But together they grew stronger. Strong enough to escape.

They were supposed to meet in an abandoned building in Salem. As soon as Michael escaped, he rushed to the building. And now that he was there, he waited for Lucifer to come. They were going to talk about the war that was coming. They would fulfill the sacred prophecy. Michael and Lucifer would rise again.

And the others would fall.

Distant footsteps brought Michael back to reality. The footsteps were getting closer, and Michael knew what that meant.

Lucifer arrived.

"So, you're here," a voice said. Michael turned around, and there he was. His brother.

Lucifer had switched clothes. He probably stole some on the way to Salem. The new outfit made him look as a regular human. Only his face couldn't hide the pain and exhaustion that the cage had caused.

"Are we really going to fulfill the prophecy? Is there going to be war soon? Are we-"

"Let's not rush into things. We have time." Lucifer's voice was calming, but demanding. The smile on his face sent shivers down Michaels spine. "So, you escaped without a problem?"

"Well, I had to kill some guards-"

"Crowley's going to love that surprise."

"But I had no problems with leaving Hell."

Lucifer's smile faded. His eyes looked concerned, as if he was afraid that would happen. "Were there any guards at the gates?"

"No, not at all."

Lucifer turned around. He was furious. How did she find out? Why did she do this?

"Did you tell anyone about our plan?" Lucifer asked. The fury in his eyes gave Michael chills, while fear and confusion took control over his body.

"N-no, brother, I didn't! I swear!"

Lucifer's mood changed within seconds. When Michael looked into his brother's eyes, he saw the reflection of the lamp hanging on the wall. It gave Lucifer's eyes a orange shade, and it scared Michael.

"Then how did she find out?", Lucifer said, unaware that he said it out loud.

"Who is she?", Michael asked.

"The one I am always fighting with. The only one who shares my love for war. Naomi."

"You think Naomi helped us escape?"

"Yes," Lucifer said, "and that means she has a reason to attack Hell."

"But Heaven would lose! The angels are weak!"

"Believe me, the first thing Naomi did was build an army."

"But what does that mean? She's on our side, right?", Michael asked.

"Quite the contrary. She wants me dead."

Michael looked at Lucifer. He was scared. Scared of the war. Scared of the angels.

They had a lot to talk about.


	7. Chapter 5: A touch of evil

Dean couldn't believe it. He just stood there, lost in his thoughts. He had done everything to get Lucifer in the cage. It was a closed case. A solved problem. But someone got salt in the wound before it could heal. He had to fix it. Again.

The hand on his shoulder gave him a glimpse of reality, and slowly he started to become aware of his surroundings. Cas spoke to him, concern visible in his eyes.

"Dean," he whispered, "are you okay?"

Dean turned around, and looked at the face of the angel, as if he was looking for a miracle. He shook his head, and he walked towards Charlie, who was standing in front of the cage. Usually her geeky clothing cheered him up, but even the bright colors of the light sabers on her shirt looked dark and inappropriate. Nothing was the same in the dark pit called Hell. _They should get a sign in front of the entrance,_ Dean always thought, _something like 'Happiness will be executed'._

When Dean looked at the empty cage, he felt a kind of energy, that seemed to be lurking him inside. It felt strange, and dark, but somehow Dean struggled to resist. He just wanted to walk around inside the cage, see what his brother had seen, touch the inside walls of the cage that held the secrets of evil. He didn't even know why, it just felt like the right thing to do, even though he knew it wasn't. A part of Dean wanted to turn around and walk away, to get to the bunker safely, and to find a solution. But another part of him, a stronger part, was keeping his eyes fixed on the darkness of the cage. The battle inside him wouldn't stop, and he knew what he needed to do. The thing he thought was right. He turned around, and saw the others standing far from the cage, talking to each other, probably about the next step. They didn't seem to notice the screams that came from the cage when Dean entered.

The door closed, and while Dean used all his power to escape from the dark fate he had, he realised he was alone, isolated, with no way out.

Cas didn't realise what had happened to Dean, until they were about to leave Hell. Panic and fear took over his body when he saw the closed cage, and the body and spirit of his soulmate hidden within it. He was rooted to the spot, while his thoughts were racing, not knowing what to do. Nobody noticed his absence, yet he couldn't make them. Panic had silenced him, but the idea of losing Dean woke him up, and he didn't hesitate when he screamed.

He ran. He ran towards the cage, even though he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He heard the others following his lead, but he didn't wait for help. He trusted his instinct, and threw his body against the door. When the door didn't open, he did it again. And again. His body was protesting, but his mind ignored the pain. He had to get Dean out of there. He couldn't leave him in Hell. Not again.

In his mind he saw Dean. Not the Dean he looked at this morning. The Dean that was stuck in Hell. The fear was glued to his face, and it seemed like Dean wouldn't be able to smile again. There was no hope in his eyes. Only emptiness. Cas had saved him. It felt right when he held Dean close while spreading his wings to leave the place Dean's fate had led him to. From that moment, Cas was determined to protect Dean, and to save him when needed. It was a silent oath. A task Cas had given himself, despite the disapproval of his siblings.

But what if he couldn't fulfill his duty, which was the greatest sin of all?

The thought of a life without Dean made Cas collapse on the ground. He felt the arms of the red-headed hunter, but they didn't give him strength. They didn't make him feel safe. They made him aware of his incapability of saving his love. They made him feel like a failure.

Darkness. Silence. Chaos. They surrounded Dean. He wanted to walk away, hide the fear. But he had to face them. He couldn't hide his emotions. He was living in a nightmare, with nobody there to wake him up and tell them everything would be okay. He had to do this alone.

He had been lonely before. When his dad left him and his brother to go on a hunt, he had to take care of himself and his brother. He had to grow up before Sammy could. He had to protect him, be a parent to him. Dean was more like a father to Sam than John, and it was something Dean would never forget.

He cried when his father died, there was no chance he would deny that. But Dean would never forgive his father for his recklessness. His thirst for revenge had made him insane. Dean was alone. He was responsible for himself and his brother. And it made him feel hopeless. There was nobody to guide him. Nobody to tell him what to do, what to say or how to behave. He only had his brother.

But now he couldn't even see his brother. The thick walls of the cage didn't even let a glimpse of the outside world through. Nothing and nobody could reach Dean. He was trapped for the rest of eternity.

But somewhere between the stages of fear and panic that Dean found himself in, there was curiosity. Why did something lurk him into the cage? What was so special about him that only he felt the mysterious force pulling him towards eternal damnation? And the most important question of all, was there a way out?

Dean sat in a corner, waiting for a miracle. A miracle he knew was never going to come.

Even though the angel had used all his strength to resist, the others had dragged him out of room. They were now in Crowley's office, waiting for a demon to bring news.

Crowley had called everyone he knew, just to order them to watch out for Lucifer and Michael. And to bring them back if they could. Cas was definitely not looking forward to the sibling meeting, but they were the only sons of bitches that knew how to get out of the cage. Maybe they could even contact Dean. Dean, alone in the cage….

The sound of approaching footsteps woke Cas up, and with a little bit of hope in his skyblue eyes he stared at the demon. The demon probably noticed the eyes of the angel burning in her shoulder, but she ignored them while she bowed before her king. She took a deep breath before she spoke.

"There has been no sign of Lucifer and Michael, my leash," she said, almost disappointed in herself. Cas felt all hope slip away, but the demon wasn't done talking yet. "Although, there is another angel who wants to talk to you. I told her now wasn't the best time, but she claims to have information about the two fugitives."

Cas frowned. _She?!_ No angel wants to mind Crowley's business, so which female angel could this be? He tried to think of all possibilities, but nowhere on his list could the woman stepping into the office been found. It was the holy devil herself, the one prepared to torture her siblings to gain power. The archenemy of both angels and demons. And above all, the one Cas hated the most.

Naomi.

She held her head up high, which didn't only made her seem confident, but also arrogant. The smile, Cas knew, was hiding her rotten grace that had destroyed so many of its own kind. The soulsucker, they used to call her behind her back when all the angels were young. Now, she had officially earned the title. She was worse than the imaginary child of Metatron and Crowley.

"What are you doing here?" Cas asked angrily. He was now standing in front of her, blocking her way. Her smile didn't leave her face while she spoke to him with the calming voice Cas hated even more than her actions.

"My dear Castiel," she began, "Good to see you again. Alive and kicking, I suppose? Maybe the Winchester brothers did work as a cure. Still in love with the oldest? Say hi to Dean for me, would you?"

She had just arrived, and she had already gone too far. Within a fraction of a second, five demons, Charlie, and Crowley were trying to hold the angel back, before he would strangle Naomi to death.

"Cas, hottie, chill," Charlie said calmly. "She says she has information, she could be useful. Spare her for us. For me." She closed her eyes before saying the final words. "For Dean."

Even though every single cell of Cas' body was eager to kill the soulsucker, hearing Dean's name made him stop. He sat down again, tenser than before, and constantly following Naomi with his eyes.

"Now," Crowley began when he had straightened his suit and had sunken in his chair again. "you can help us find Lucifer and Michael, I suppose?"

"No. But I can tell you everything I know about them. I grew up with them, I know how they think, how they speak, and how they act."

"Excellent! Then tell us where they could be." Everyone had forgotten the giant Winchester in the room. He had been so quiet, he had made himself invisible. But now that he had emerged, his anger filled the whole room, and the conversation became even tenser.

"I don't know."

"But you said-"

"I didn't say I am aware of their location, Sam!" Naomi shouted. Her smile had faded, and her eyes had become darker, which sent shivers down Charlie's spine. "I only know how they think, I am not a gps tracker!"

"Ladies, let's not scratch each others eyes out, okay?" Crowley said to Naomi and Sam. "Let's hear what Naomi has to say. Maybe we can get something useful out of her." Naomi felt offended, but Crowleys determined look convinced her to speak.

"Lucifer wants to take over Heaven. He wants to rule the world and all divine realms that are connected. He will destroy every little ray of sunshine and he will create chaos, and restore the Earth."

"What do you mean, restore the Earth?", Sam asked.

"Before God created anything, even before the Darkness, there was chaos. Nobody knows what it looked like, nobody knows what kind of chaos it was. We only know that it was worse than the Darkness. We don't even know if that chaos can return, as God didn't exist yet when the Darkness defeated chaos. But Lucifer is determined to find out."

"How is he planning to do that?"

"I have no idea," Naomi said. "I only know that if he is still the same angel that went into the cage, he will ask for help. He wil ask angels and demons, he will ask all creatures to join and help him. And, if he really hasn't changed, he will kill everyone who stands in his way."

"We can beat him," Sam said with confidence. "We did it before, we can do it again."

"Except he now has Michael by his side."

These words silenced everyone. There was no hope. Only a miracle would be able to save them now.

"Naomi, what do you know about the cage?" Cas asked.

"Not much, why?"

"It's Dean. He's…. trapped." Cas said, while he struggled to keep his tears from rolling down his cheeks.

Naomi obviously didn't expect that. That was not how the plan was supposed to go. She thought everything had gone well, but apparently she had made a mistake. And she couldn't correct it without consequences.

"I am so sorry, Castiel, I didn't know," she said, while she tried to sound convincing. Luckily everyone was in deep thoughts and didn't notice the bad acting skills of Naomi. She hesistated, but eventually she stood up and spoke to everyone.

"I think you should do some research. Try to find something about chaos. Anything is useful. I will warn the angels and tell them to look for Lucifer and Michael. If we find anything, we will let you know." Before anyone could say something, the sound of wings announced her departure.

Cas was the first to stand up and leave the room. They had a job to do. It wasn't a normal job. This time, it was personal. And Cas didn't want to save the world. He didn't want to talk to the angels. He wanted Dean out of the damn cage, and he would not rest until he could hold the green-eyed hunter again.

It had been a week. A week of research. Sam started to feel the exhaustion, but he was eager to find something to help his brother. To save the world (again). He only looked away from his book during pee breaks and lunch time.

The first two days were the worst. Sam couldn't eat. It felt like there was a stone in his stomach, that prevented him from putting anything in his mouth. And even if he could eat, he didn't want to. He didn't want to lose time. His brother was alone in the cage and he had to get out. Eating was not important enough.

Sam was planning to do exactly the same the days after that, but Crowley had noticed the bad eating behaviour of the hunter, and he started to order him to eat. He even threatened Sam. He had told him he would torture him if he wouldn't eat. When Sam thought about Crowley forcing a sandwich into his mouth, he decided that breaks were perhaps useful after all.

And now it was lunchtime. Sam walked out of the throne room (Crowley had ordered some demons to put tables and chairs into the largest room) and into the brightest corridor in the building (was it a palace? Sam didn't know, all exits led to another part of Hell, and it didn't look like a palace or castle on the outside). He followed the torches towards the kitchen, when he heard a voice. The door next to him wasn't closed properly, and Sam was curious to find out what the voice had to say. He slowly opened the door a little bit, and stuck his head around the corner. It was Crowley, talking to someone on the phone. He was standing with his back towards Sam, and the hunter was glad Crowley hadn't noticed him. Sam tried to be as quiet as possible, while he listened to Crowley.

"Yes, I know!" Crowley yelled, "I know there is a storm coming, I know I have to do something or we will die, I know I have to look after him. I KNOW!"

Sam was a little bit confused, but kept standing behind the door, waiting for the person on the other side of the phone to finish talking.

"No, they don't know," Crowley continued, "and I will make sure they won't find out. Can't you babysit your own puppies? Why do I always have to keep an eye on the hunters?"

Sam started to feel angry. Crowley was hiding something. He was spying on them because someone told him to. How could they've been so stupid to trust Crowley?! It's a demon, everything they do is in some way a benefit for themselves.

When Crowley hung up, he started to walk towards the door. He didn't notice Sam at first, but when the giant hands pushed him against the wall he became aware of the tall Winchester.

"WHO WAS THAT?" Sam yelled.

"None of your business, now let me go."

But instead of letting Crowley go, Sam held Crowley even tighter, and Crowley could not escape. He knew he had to confess.

"Okay." Crowley said. "I will tell you. Only if you let me go. We will join the others, and I will tell you."

Sam was angry, but he knew this was probably his only chance to hear the truth. He let Crowley go, and followed the King to the throne room.

"So, we have to believe that you are protecting us?!" Cas said.

"I am not protecting you. I am only protecting little moose over there."

The hunters and the angel had tied Crowley to a chair. Just in case he would try to escape, Charlie had created an enormous devil's trap, and Crowley was now sitting in the middle, while the others were standing around him. Sam wanted to kill the demon so badly. He was sick and tired of the lies and the secrets. He needed the truth, and he was certain that Crowley wasn't giving him what he wanted.

"You have no reason to protect me, so tell the truth or I will kill you!" Sam yelled. When Crowley didn't speak but smile, something snapped within Sams body. He sprinted towards the demon, and raised the knife. He gave Crowley one last chance. "Last chance, dickhead, who were you talking to?"

"To me."

Everyone turned around. There he was. The one Sam was devoted to. The dead man- sorry, angel, walking. The one with the caramel eyes, the eyes that Sam could lose himself in.

Sam dropped the knife, and walked towards the smaller angel. He didn't hesitate when he grabbed the man and kissed him passionately. The kiss was loaded with emotion. Happiness, grief, fear.

Sam's miracle was standing in front of him.

"My big Sammy," the man said with a smile.

Sam could only whisper the words he had been yearning to say forever.

"My Gabriel."


	8. Chapter 6: A spark from Heaven

"Wait. WHAT?!", Charlie shouted. What just happened? Gabriel and Sam? Whaaaaaaat?

"I thought you were dead," Sam said, while ignoring Charlie. A tear slipped down his face. Gabriel looked up into the eyes of his soulmate, and seemed to find the right words there. "I would never leave you," he whispered.

A silence fell. For the two figures in the middle of the room, it was a peaceful silence. For the rest of the company not so much.

After a few minutes, Crowley started to get annoyed. "Are you two dogs done looking at each other?!", he said- even better, yelled. "Untie me! Now!"

Gabriel took his time before looking away from his true love to untie Crowley. He had waited so long to see those beautiful eyes, it was hard to look away from them.

He had pretended to be dead for too long. The first time he had to part ways with the Winchesters was around the time Lucifer was trying to end the world. He had been hiding then, and wasn't able to contact Sam and Dean. But the second time, when the war in Heaven had gotten to a point that everyone who wasn't on Bartholomew's side would be killed, he had to leave the brothers alone again. But this time, he knew that it would be impossible to return. Sam and Gabriel were, well, more than friends. They were in love. And Gabriel knew he couldn't hurt Sam, so he stayed out of the Winchester's way, while he let other people watch over Sam. It was for the best. But when he heard Sam's voice demanding Crowley to tell him who wanted to keep an eye on him, Gabriel just couldn't resist. And now they were together at last.

"Sooooooooo," Charlie began, "BOTH the Winchester brothers are gay? SWEET!"

Gabriel looked up from the ropes in confusion. "Both? Did Dean finally come out?"

"Well not exactly. He didn't actually say it. He's just openly dating Cas."

Gabriel looked at Cas. He did look happy in a certain way. But the fact that Dean was rudely taken away from him, had caused more damage than the angel could handle. He was broken. His eyes were less blue than Gabe could remember, and he looked tired. Maybe the presence of another helping angel caused that little spark in his eyes, that little bit of hope.

"Well, I am very happy for you, little brother, but let's not waste any time." Gabe started. "First of all: Crowley has been my personal aide for a very long time, he's okay. Don't hate too much. He can be really funny." Sam rolled his eyes, and Gabe couldn't resist to let a smile appear on his face before he continued. "Second of all: Do not trust that bitch too much." He pointed his finger to the female angel, and everyone looked at Naomi. "I've been spying on her, and she's the one who started this."

Gabe shouldn't have said that.

Cas ran towards Naomi, and almost tossed her against the wall. He held his angel blade against her throat while he pushed her further against the wall. "What did you do?!" He yelled. Naomi looked around her to see if someone was going to stop her brother, but everyone had the same terrifying expression on their face. Naomi now knew she had to act quickly.

"I didn't do anything! I've been trying to find Lucifer for you!"

"Bullshit bitch! You freed Lucifer and Michael, so you can look for them, and when you'd succeeded, you would've been seen as a hero!" Gabriel shouted.

"Was Dean part of your plan?" Cas asked, pushing the blade more into her throat. Blood started dripping from the sides.

"No," she said while gasping for air, "Dean *gasp* wasn't supposed *gasp* to *gasp* go there."

Cas lowered his blade, and Naomi could finally breathe again. "Thank you fo-" she started, but was rudely interrupted by Cas' fist that hit her in the face so hard, she was tossed against the wall. She fell on the floor, unconscious.

Nobody bothered to actually check if she was still alive when they tossed her in one of the many cells in Hell, where she belonged.

"I don't know how to get Lucifer and Michael in, but I do know how to get Dean out," Gabriel said. It had been two days since the angel joined team Free Will. He had been helping the others with finding a way to lock "Lucy and Mike", as Gabriel liked to call them, in the cage, and to get Dean out. And now, two days later, Gabriel found the solution for one of the two problems.

Everyone was tired. They had dedicated every single hour they had to research, and the lack of sleep and progression had a negative effect on their health. Even Cas and Gabe felt the exhaustion lowering their angelic abilities. Gabe, for example, had trouble with his strength, which he was supposed to use when interrogating Naomi.

But now they looked surprised and happy, because they found something they'd been looking for.

"How?", Cas said, while walking, almost running towards his older brother, who had the heroic book in front of him. Sam followed Cas with the same facial expression.

"Well, it's going to be difficult, but I think with a little bit of teamwork it'll be done without too much effort," Gabe began. "We just need to get the ingredients for the spell."

"My mother can help us with that," Crowley said. Everyone had forgotten the incident of two days ago, and they had welcomed him as a friend when he officially joined team Free Will.

"I thought your mother was not the helping kind of witch."

"Yes, moose, thank you for telling me who my bloody mother is. But she doesn't have a choice. She's locked up. She'll have to help when she sees the beautiful face of her son." Crowley answered.

And thus, Crowley and Sam visited Rowena, to get everything they needed for the spell.

"Fergus, why would you even think I'll help you?" the red-haired woman said with a smile. "I never loved you. Your face means nothing more than a mistake to me."

"I know, mother, we have discussed this countless of times. But I can give you freedom, can't I?"

"And I am supposed to believe that you are going to give me my freedom? I'd rather believe that these chains will fall off someday, because they're all old and rusty."

"Listen, you Scottish bitch," Crowley began, "Why don't you continue playing your bagpipes and shu-"

Sam placed his hand on Crowley's shoulder. The king knew he'd gone too far, and stepped back. It was Sam's turn to try.

"Rowena, please. I know you don't like us, and you have a lot of problems with your son, but if you won't believe him, believe me. You will get your freedom if you give us what we need."

"Fine." Rowena mumbled, after thinking for a few minutes. "The ingredients, they're in my vault. Fergus, you know where that is?"

"It's Crowley, and yes, I have an idea."

"Good." Rowena sighed, and the two men walked out of the cell. Before they closed the door, they heard Rowena shout: "I'll be waiting for you!"

This was a start. Without Gabe, they would've been lost. _He really is a spark from Heaven,_ both Crowley and Sam said to themselves.

The vault was dark, and somehow warm. It didn't seem to be isolated, and there was no fire to be seen. But it was warm. Almost too warm.

Gabriel and Sam were looking for the right ingredients for the spell. Cas had offered to join them, but both Gabe and Sam thought he was too emotional to get involved. They had to be cautious, Rowena was known for her many traps, and Cas would walk right into one in the state he was in.

Charlie had made a list of everything they needed. When Sam had checked it back in Hell, he'd seen that she had written 'functional Sam' and 'functional love angel of Sam' on the list. He'd smiled then. But now, when he thought of it, he started to doubt if he could bring that back to Hell.

It was hard to walk in the vault, as the floor seemed to be made of rotten wood, which made it unstable. When Sam was standing on a plank that felt even more rotten the rest, he quickly grabbed Gabriel's hand. He didn't let go until they'd left the vault.

After walking around in the darkness for a while, Gabriel stopped walking. He seemed to have found something. He reached out to it, and grabbed the shining vial. Gabriel, who could see in the dark just as well as he could see in broad daylight, read the label. " 'Blood of the purest angel'. I wonder who that is," he said. Gabe handed the vial over to Sam, who put it in his bag. They had two more ingredients to find.

The heart of the darkest soul was easy to find. It was the only heart standing on the shelf of body parts, that was near the end table the vial had been standing on.

But then they had to find the most important ingredient: the tear of a demon with a pure heart. Not only the hardest to say (according to Gabriel), but also the hardest to obtain. There'd only been one demon in the history of monsters that would qualify as a demon with a pure heart. A demon, that no longer was a demon.

Dean.

Sam and Gabriel, of course, didn't know this, nor how Rowena got the tear. They were glad she had it anyway, no matter how she obtained it. They took the little glass vial, and they left the building.

It was time to save Dean.

"You are able to cast a spell? But you are nothing special!" Charlie said. Crowley had offered to cast the spell, because he had obtained enough knowledge after listening to his mother to know how to cast it.

"Yes, you bloody woman, yes! I can cast a spell! Do you want squirrel out of the bloody cage or not?!"

"Well Crowley, less talking, more casting." Sam said. "Dean shouldn't be in the cage any longer."

They all walked to the cage in silence. There was a tense feeling around them, that all the souls they passed could feel. Their screaming stopped when team Free Will walked by, and only continued when they were out of sight.

For Cas, it took ages to get to the cage. He couldn't wait to see those beautiful green eyes again. They had been separated for far too long. He needed Dean. And hopefully, Dean needed him.

As soon as they arrived, Crowley started placing everything in front of the cage. The others took a step back as Crowley began to speak a foreign language. He mixed the ingredients, and kept speaking.

And then, he stopped.

There was thunder, lightning bolts came down near the cage, and the cage began to shake. Every sound was suddenly louder than before, every light was brighter.

But then, everything went silent.

Everyone looked at the cage. Would they see the face of the oldest Winchester?

They waited for a response.

But then realisation struck. Charlie gasped, Gabriel held Sam in his arms and kissed him for comfort. Cas fell on his knees while the last spark of hope in his eyes faded.

The cage was still shut, and Dean Winchester was still trapped.


	9. Chapter 7: The sacrifice of happiness

He had seen them.

The light had blinded him at first, but then he'd seen them. Crowley. Charlie. Sam. Even Gabriel, which brought Dean in a state of confusion. But most importantly, he'd seen the sky blue eyes of his soulmate. The trench coat, the messy black hair. The stiff posture of the man he loved had filled his heart with joy. He'd walked towards the light, towards his future...

He should have known it was too good to be true. Just before Dean could step into the light, the doors closed, and Dean was left alone with the darkness and his thoughts again.

The exhausted body of the green-eyed hunter protested while Dean tossed it against the door. He kicked, slammed and screamed. He was too tired to continue, yet he couldn't find enough strength to resist the urge to do whatever it would take to reopen the door. At last, after one final toss, he leaned against the giant doors, and fell onto the ground, exhausted.

 _Was it all an illusion?_ Dean thought. It felt so real, but Gabriel was dead, he knew that much. But the tired faces of his friends were not like any nightmare he'd ever had. If it had been a dream, they would've been happy and healthy. If it had been a nightmare, they would probably not be there at all. It had to be true. But how did they manage to open the cage?

The thoughts were spinning in Deans head while they made him forget the pain. The cage had been both a physical and an emotional hell for him. The darkness had eaten him alive. Happy memories were turned into horrifying nightmares, the cold chamber had made his limbs go numb. He'd lost control over his body, and soon, he would even lose his mind, his reason.

The cage had made him remember things. Not happy things, like the warm body of Cas against him while he would fall into a deep sleep, but terrible things. It started a few hours after getting trapped. He started seeing people he vaguely recognized, but couldn't remember. Dean knew he was alone, and thought he was just hallucinating. But there was something odd about the cage. He was lured into it by something, and the same strange feeling appeared along with the faces of the slightly recognizable people. After a while, the faces disappeared. At first, Dean felt even lonelier than before, but as the days went by (as far as he could tell, because there was no indication of time anywhere) he started to feel the strange force again. Although Dean recognized the force from his previous encounters, he noticed something he'd never noticed or felt before. This time, the force didn't feel like a immaterial power that surrounded Dean. It felt like a physical being, a shadow at least. It was there. It was physically present. And Dean knew he would miss the solitude soon.

Dean never saw or heard the physical force. He didn't touch it either, if that was even possible. But it was communicating with the hunter somehow. Every time he dozed off, or even closed his eyes, he could feel the shadow of the mystery covering his body. He dreamed of nothing else than darkness, despair and death, and Dean decided give the force a name. It would at least make it easier to think about. He gave the force the most obvious name possible, the only name that would actually suit its imaginary personality and surroundings: the Darkness, he called it.

Of course, Dean had encountered the Darkness before, when he was lured into the cage. But even then, the Darkness seemed familiar. Like it had taken control over him before. He spent most of his time from the moment he realized the strange feeling was familiar figuring out what it could be and where he could have felt this way before. But all his memories seemed to lack the presence of a force as dark as the Darkness, which made Dean come to a conclusion: he must have forgotten. Dean couldn't remember a single second of his time as demon. He did remember being one, but he knew nothing of his actions other than the things he heard from Cas and Sam. He must have recognized the Darkness from his former time as demon. It was the only explanation. The only thing Dean didn't know, was that the Darkness was waiting for him to figure this out. As soon as Dean thought of the conclusion, the flashbacks started. They were presented to the hunter like the people he once saw, but now, it was more like a movie. He could see the same people, but there was always something happening to them. It was demon-Dean, murdering, torturing, or simply harassing the people. Dean wanted to turn away. He didn't want to look in the eyes of the people he killed. He didn't want to remember. But it was like the images were stuck to his eyes. Even when he turned to look away, the images followed his eyes. When he closed his eyes, he could relive the memories more vividly. He could feel his fist breaking the ribs of an old man, and it scared him. He'd blamed himself for a very long time after he became human again, because he knew he had done unspeakable things. But Cas had made him see the goodness in him. He couldn't completely forgive himself, but he started to understand that he was not the one doing everything. His soul would never agree with such violence towards the innocent. He learned to understand that there was a dark force possessing him, making him do all these things. He just didn't know then that there really was a force. And although he knew that while looking at his forgotten memories, he started to blame himself again, and the spark of life that was burning inside him started to fade rapidly. It wouldn't be long until Dean would surrender to the Darkness once again.

But then the doors had opened, and Dean could feel that fading spark burn brightly while he had walked towards his freedom. But just as fast as the hope had appeared, it disappeared. Dean had lost. Team Free Will had lost. Dean was sentenced to a lifetime in his personal hell as protection from the terror Lucifer and Michael would unleash to let the prophesized Apocalypse destroy all happiness. Dean felt defeated, as he felt the Darkness grow on the other side of the cage, knowing it would consume him soon enough.

 _Dean._

Silence.

 _Dean is still in the cage._

The man could now hear the shuffling of feet around him.

 _I am here, and Dean is still in the cage._

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and started to reclaim his body.

 _I failed._

Cas tossed the owner of the hand into the air, and started running- no, flying- towards the cage, towards the giant doors that separated him from the one reason for him to stay alive. "Dean!", he yelled, while slamming his fists against the door. "Dean!"

Tears were streaming down his face, he could feel his blood boiling out of rage. His heart started to beat like a maniac, while his mind was racing. He let his body control itself, and didn't even stop to see that his arm was completely mutilated. His screams could be heard from every corner of Hell. They were louder than the other screams that could be heard in the distance, and they seem to contain more emotion than the other screams could provide. He felt sweat dripping from his forehead, the drops multiplying as fast as the tears. Cas couldn't hear the screams of the people behind them. He couldn't hear them begging him to stop. He couldn't see his brother and brother-in-law running towards him. He couldn't feel the rough hands on his waist, pulling him away from the cage. His vision went black, his body stopped moving. He was hardly aware of the arms of his brother holding him, keeping him from hitting the ground with his head.

"Dean," he whispered, and the angel closed his eyes, remaining unconscious in the arms of Gabriel.

"He'll be fine, I promise," Sam said. They had brought Cas back to the research tables, and placed him on a table Crowley had provided. He was still unconscious hours after the worst day of their lives, and Gabriel was concerned. His little brother had lost control in his arms, and he couldn't even imagine what he'd been going through when he saw Dean was still trapped. He couldn't imagine how he would react if he would been separated from Sam, now that they were finally able to hold each other again.

They were in Sam's temporary room. Angels don't need to sleep, but the group had discovered that both Cas and Gabe were far more focused if they'd slept the night before. Now, Charlie and Crowley would work during the night, while Gabriel and Sam would work during the day. Even though the lovers were both exhausted, neither of them was able to sleep, not after the events of that day. Sam could feel the tension of Gabriel, and had said the reassuring words while placing his hand on the waist of the angel, who, as reaction, turned around to look at Sam. He hadn't stopped worrying about his little brother, but the voice of his idiotic tall teddy bear comforted him a little. He caressed Sam's cheek while looking into his beautiful eyes. He wasn't even fully aware of the soft pair of lips touching his, and kissed Sam back, passionately, but softly. The two men felt each other's pain, and the kiss became rougher, causing them to get closer to each other, until Gabriel's entire body was in contact with the body of Sam. Just like the first kiss, Gabriel asked Sam's permission by gently stroking Sam's lips with his tongue, and he didn't have to wait very long for a reaction. Sam's mouth opened, and Gabriel's tongue entered, making Sam's stomach burn with joy. The movements of the men became wilder every second, and Gabriel slowly started to climb on top of Sam. Sam barely felt the weight of his angel resting on his chest. The passion between them had pushed away everything else. They were only aware of each other, and that was the only thing that mattered. After a few minutes, Sam slowly moved his lips away from Gabriel, and stretched out his hand to grab something. Gabriel turned his head to the left to find the hand of Sam with a bottle of lube and a condom. Gabriel looked at Sam. This would be their first time. Sam always told Gabriel he wasn't ready. "Are you sure this is the right time?" Gabriel asked. Sam placed the objects next to him, and held Gabriel tighter than before. "I lost you twice, I don't want to wait anymore. There will never be a perfect time, but I want to take my chance before it's too late." These words startled Gabriel, and he needed a moment to process it. But when he'd finally taken in the words, he kissed Sam even more passionate than before. Sam was right. They had to do what they could before it was too late.

Gabriel had never actually had sex before. He knew what it was, and how it works, but he'd never done it. The many ladies he had kissed when he pretended to be a trickster could never turn him on. He didn't feel comfortable around them, either. They wanted sex, while he just wanted to hide his feelings. Yes, even back then he'd liked Sam. You could say it was love at first sight.

Although both men were new to the experience, they handled out of instinct. The wild kiss got interrupted by Gabriel who was trying to take off Sam's shirt. Sam decided he didn't like to be the only topless guy, and quickly removed Gabe's shirt before returning to the kiss. Sam's and Gabriel's senses started to sharpen, and they both started to be aware of the bulges pressing into each other's leg. They looked into each other's eyes before removing the last pieces of clothing. There they were, together, naked. Gabriel tried to grab the condom, but Sam was quicker, and helped Gabriel, while kissing his abdomen. When Sam was done, Gabriel teasingly grabbed the bottle of lube, and prepared himself, for what was said to be the best feeling of his life.

Sam was lying on his stomach, while Gabriel positioned himself. They were both nervous, yet excited. They had waited for this moment for so long, but it was scary. They both didn't know what to expect. But why would they wait? Sam shivered when Gabriel slowly pushed his heavenly dick inside him. Apparently, dicks can have dicks too. Sam smiled when he heard Gabe's voice in his ear. "You good?", he whispered. "Yeah, I'm good," Sam whispered back, and he felt his angel starting to move slowly. It was painful, but somehow, it also felt incredibly good. Gabriel noticed that Sam's moans became more pleasant after a while, and he started to pick up the speed. The moans became louder, and Gabriel almost thanked his father (he obviously didn't, that dick had left the angels alone so they could smash each other's heads in) for the soundproof walls, as he started moaning too. The two men became louder every second and it didn't take long for Gabriel to feel an orgasm coming up. He moved faster than before, and Sam screamed of pain and pleasure as Gabriel came. After catching their breath, Gabriel laid down next to Sam. He turned his head to face his hunter once more. Sam was still panting, and Gabriel could see his skin shining because of the sweat. "That's a new thrust exercise," he said, smiling. Sam rolled with his eyes and whispered: "It's trust exercise, you idiot." Gabriel placed his head on Sam's chest, while he felt Sam's arm curling around his body. _This was the right time,_ Gabriel thought, while he dozed off, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

"You look far too happy, dude," Charlie said. Sam had just walked in with a giant cup of coffee and the biggest smile she'd ever seen. She hadn't heard anything that night, but the walls were probably soundproof, so God knows what happened in that room. "Can't a man be happy for a moment?" Sam asked, trying to get rid of the smile, but it seemed to be glued to his face. He felt too good to hide the smile, even though his legs felt terrible.

"Well, usually you are not even a little bit close to having that smile frozen on your face, and now, your brother is still stuck, the world is about to end, and you are happier than ever….. What was Gabriel like?"

"Wha- What do you mean?" Sam tried his best to sound innocent, but he knew that he couldn't get passed the all-seeing eyes of his geeky sister. Well, they didn't have the same blood, but she was basically a sister for Sam and Dean. And she acted like their little sister as well…

"Bro. I have seen you lie twenty times better than that, and I could still see you were lying. Why don't you stop trying to pretend nothing happened, and just tell me all the nasty details?"

"Because we don't have time for the soap opera of Moose and Lollipop," Crowley said, when he entered the room. Charlie looked at Sam, and when she saw him turning red, she used all her strength to prevent herself from laughing. She tried to look as serious as possible when she started talking. "Do you have any leads?"

"Yes I do. Some of my most trustworthy demons," (Sam almost spit out his coffee) "have done some research. Moose, you should learn how to drink, while Redhead and Lollipop are coming with me. We are going to hear what my demons have to say."

"Wait, why can't I come?" Sam asked.

"Of course you can come. Has someone shoved your brain up your arse?" Crowley said, annoyed. They waited for Gabriel to finally wake up, Sam greeted him with a kiss and a wink, they checked if Cas had woken up, and when they found out he was still unconscious, they left, hoping for a new lead.

"We have found a new method to open the cage," the demon said. When the team walked in, they were surprised to see a huge amount of demons just staring at books and computer screens. The only demon with glasses had come up to them, and had told them the good news. Well, was it good news? "Well, what do we need?", Sam said, ready to get his brother out of that damn cage. "It is not that simple. This is not a spell, or some other kind of child's play. This is an age old ritual, discovered by pagans. It requires a sacrifice. A sacrifice of happiness, to be precise."

 _It is very vague and it sounds so nice it's creepy,_ Charlie thought. She hated all this negative crap. She just wanted to kill some monsters, be the queen of her LARP kingdom, and at the end of the day fall asleep in her unicorn pyjamas and rainbow socks. Why did the world have to be so damn cruel?!

"So what exactly is this sacrifice of happiness?" Crowley asked. "We don't know sir, the book is quite vague. We will tell you if we made any progress."

The team left the demons again with something else to worry about. The only one who stayed positive, was Charlie. "At least we now have an indication of what we should be looking for," she said, while they walked back to their research centre.

"So, what's the plan now?", Gabriel asked. They had been searching for hours, but nothing could tell them anything about the sacrifice of happiness.

"Maybe we shouldn't be looking at the translation, but at the actual symbols," Sam said. "Fish represent happiness, but that's not all. They also represent femininity, good luck, and knowledge. And why is that plus symbol not translated?" Nobody seemed to know. "I do recognize it.." Sam walked to the table that was full of Celtic books. After some quick reading Sam pointed at the page. "Here. The symbol is called the Ailm, and it is used to represent the purity of the soul. I don't know exactly what that means, but I guess it means that the soul hasn't been touched yet by anything."

"But there are hundreds of people whose souls have never been touched! How are we supposed to find the one we need?" Gabriel asked, a little startled by the provided information.

"The ritual was performed every week, so there must be more people out there who qualify as 'sacrifice of happiness and purity of the soul'. We can always test it, of course. Let's first try to perform the ritual without the purity of the soul, and then we can see if it's really necessary."

They all agreed. Sam was supposed to be the sacrifice. Of course, he wouldn't be killed, he would just donate his blood to the bowl full of ingredients.

And with that in mind, they packed the ingredients, and went back to the cage.

"Crowley, can you do the spell part again?" Sam asked. They had prepared everything for the ritual, and they were about to test Sam's theory. The only one who was not so sure of the plan, was Charlie.

She's felt strange ever since she heard the demon with the glasses tell her about the sacrifice of happiness. Not only did it make her feel terrible, but she felt like she was drawn to the words, like they belonged to her. It made her wonder: would she qualify?

Nobody had ever touched her soul, thank you very much. But happiness? Of course, she was the positive kind of girl, but was that really enough? The femininity would, of course, fit. But would it work?

Crowley gave a quick nod as reaction to Sam's question, and started the ritual.

After a few spells, it was time for Sam's sacrifice. He sat down next to the bowl of ingredients. He was a little nervous, not knowing what would happen. He had held Gabriel's hand the whole time, and now rested his head against Gabriel's legs, who was still standing, but he quickly lowered himself to kiss Sam, for good luck. Crowley advised Gabriel to take a step back, but Gabriel didn't move. There was no guarantee that Sam would remain unharmed, and Gabriel wanted to protect him. He pushed his cheek against Sam's cheek and rested his head on his shoulder. Sam felt a little better, knowing that if this would end badly, he would be with the person he loved. And while he thought of Gabriel, he felt the knife burying itself in his hand, and he felt blood dripping out of the wound.

Charlie was standing a few steps away from the ritual. She had a bad feeling about this. These rituals could never be good. She looked into the fire that was burning in the bowl, and she suddenly felt something. No, she knew something. It would be enough. She could be the one qualified for this. Before she could even think about this for a moment, her body acted on itself, and she ran towards the fire. She quickly picked up the knife, and she could Gabriel standing up in the corner of her eye. She had to be fast. She pressed against the fresh wound, and she started bleeding like a maniac, while Crowley, who had his eyes closed to concentrate, said the final words.

Screams.

The cage began to shake.

Thunder.

Charlie started to fall onto the ground.

Lightning.

Cas woke up.

Panic.

The cage had opened.

All sounds stopped, and everyone looked at the cage. There he was, Dean, the man who almost lost to the Darkness again. The green-eyed hunter. The older brother.

He wasn't happy.

Dean ran towards Charlie. She was laying on the ground. Blood was coming from fresh wounds. Sam, Gabriel and Crowley began to run towards Charlie as well.

"Dean," she whispered, when he lifted her, and started running towards the hallway that would lead him to the research centre. The others followed him. When they arrived, Dean saw an empty table and placed Charlie gently on it. The others were confused. Where was Cas?

"Dean," Cas said from the other side of the room. He'd expected to see the happy face of his soulmate again, but instead, his eyes were watering. A tear slipped down the hunter's face as he turned towards Charlie again.

"You can't die, Charlie, we will fix this," Dean said, but Charlie shushed him while smiling faintly. "I did this for you. For my big brothers," she managed to say.

"I love you, Charlie," Dean said, now crying.

"I love you too, big bro."

Both Dean and Sam cried. She had a very honourable death, but they couldn't handle the truth.

Charlie Bradbury was dead, and they had just lost a sister.


End file.
